1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a healthy drink containing mineral components such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and tannin, and polyphenol components contained in azuki bean, while containing a small amount of energy sources such as sugar, fat and protein, and its production method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, azuki bean is known as nutritious bean containing energy sources such as sugar, fat, and protein, and is used as a raw material for production of azuki-bean soup (Shiruko), bean jam, sweet jelly of beans (Yokan) etc.
On the other hand, recently, by changing life environments and eating habits, increase of the diseases from life habits such as increase of fats, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and diabetes, caused by excessive caloric intake, became a social concern. Therefore, as a solution, much attention is paid on the so-called healthy drink which can easily provide vitamins and minerals with a low calorie content.
As such a healthy drink, drinks made from beans such as soy bean, black soy bean and azuki bean which contain vegetable protein, various vitamins, fats and minerals, providing a well balanced nutrition have been proposed (e.g. see publication of Japanese Patent Laid-Open H11-183738, H2000-189123).
However, those drinks from beans proposed heretofore are inclined rather to use as an alternative of coffee as table luxuries, and use black soy bean as an indispensable material, while using azuki bean only as a supplemental ingredient for sweet and flavor.
The present invention, considering above situation, aims for providing a new healthy drink effectively utilizing azuki bean (small red bean) which is rich in mineral components such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and tannin, as well as polyphenol components, and its production method.
The inventors of the present invention, as a result of an intensive study placing focus on azuki bean which is rich in mineral components such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, tannin and polyphenol components, found that a new healthy drink with a brilliant red color of azuki bean and a plain flavor can be produced by extracting effectively mineral and polyphenol components through heating azuki bean under a certain condition while limiting extraction of sugar, fat and protein, and further removing an astringency from extracted liquid which contains minerals and polyphenols by aging the extract under a suitable condition, thus completing the present invention.
Namely, the healthy drink made from azuki bean of the present invention is characterized by containing the extracted components of azuki bean, and the extracted components are essentially mineral components such as sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, tannin and polyphenol components.
Function of each of above mentioned components contained in the healthy drink of the present invention are described in the following:
[Sodium]
mitigates excitement of muscles and nerves, maintains constant osmotic pressure of extracellular fluid such as plasma, maintains alkaline condition of body, helps secretion of digestive fluid, and prevents lack of appetite, fatigue, and mental unstability.
[Calcium]
forms hard texture such as bone and tooth, make blood alkaline affecting on the blood coagulation, and promotes contraction of cardiac muscle.
[Magnesium]
enhances stimulus excitement of muscle, while on the other hand sedates the same. Activates some kind of enzyme, helps prevention of cardiopalmus caused by vasodilation.
[Potassium]
controls function of heart and muscles, as well as maintains osmotic pressure of intracellular fluid, prevents myasthenia due to decrease of myodynamia and isles, prevents cystectacy, prevents parareflexia, improves allergic habit of body, helps intracorporeal spodophorous. With sodium, controls intracorporeal water balance and maintains normal heart beat rhythm.
[Iron]
carries oxygen via hemoglobin in red corpuscle as well as takes oxygen in blood into cells via myoglobin of liver. Distributed widely in cells of whole body, involved in activation of oxygen and promotes combustion of nutrients. Prevents anemia, fatigue, and hypoplasia of baby.
[Tannin]
has anti-oxidation effect, suppresses lipoperoxide, and carcinogenesis.
In order to make those functions effectively demonstrated, and to provide a suitable flavor and fragrance as a drink at the same time, the preferred range of content for each component, per 100 ml drink, are as follows: 0.5-1 mg sodium, 1-2 mg calcium, 1-2 mg magnesium, 10-20 mg potassium, 0.01-0.05 mg iron, and 25-35 mg tannin. Beyond those ranges, the drink becomes too much astringent and the functions of each component may not be demonstrated.
Particularly preferred contents are as follows: 0.8 mg sodium, 1.3 mg calcium, 1.6 mg magnesium, 16 mg potassium, 0.03 mg iron, and 30.0 mg tannin, whereby the function of each component is fully demonstrated with a suitable flavor and fragrance of a drink.
Quality of azuki beans, however, generally depends on its bleeding, growing district, harvest year and storage method. In addition, the bean changes its seed ratio (the ratio of its peel to the rest part) by self-decomposition of starch and protein to maintain its own life. Considering such characteristics peculiar to azuki bean, for production of the healthy drink made from azuki bean of the present invention, the inventors of the present invention intensively studied the method of preventing effluence of a component having relatively long molecular chain which has strong astringency and a bitter taste, and as the result, found that after extraction of minerals and polyphenols from azuki bean, subjecting the extract to heating process provides a mellow flavor by bonding relatively short molecular chains of the components of astringency and bitter taste, and furthermore, by aging for a certain period of time after the heating process, its flavor and fragrance become stabilized and suitable as a drink, thus completing the present invention.
Namely, as a preferred production method of the healthy drink made from azuki bean, a method is proposed comprising first washing the desired amount of azuki beans, followed by extraction of the beans under a certain heating condition to obtain an extracted liquid containing minerals and polyphenols from azuki bean, and after dilution of the extracted liquid to a certain concentration, the diluted liquid is filled up in a container which is then heated and cooled and left for aging.
Extraction in the above mentioned method is preferably conducted by boiling down process using 80-100xc2x0 C. hot water for 20-60 minute. Under this condition, mineral components and polyphenol components in azuki bean are efficiently extracted while the extraction of sugars, fats and proteins are prevented.
For effectively demonstrating the function of each component and providing flavor and fragrance suited as a drink, it is preferred to adjust dilution of the aforementioned extracted liquid as follows; sodium: 0.5-1 mg/100 ml, calcium: 1-2 mg/100 ml, magnesium: 1-2 mg/100 ml, potassium: 10-20 mg/100 ml, iron: 0.01-0.05 mg/100 ml, tannin: 25-35 mg/100 ml.
Heating of the closed container in the above mentioned method is preferably conducted at 110-130xc2x0 C. for a period of 30-40 minutes. This condition develops color in the liquid in the container and remove astringency to provide a flavor suited for drink.
Aging in the closed container in the above mentioned method is preferably conducted at 15-30xc2x0 C. for a period of 3-7 days. Under this condition, color of the liquid in the container further deepens and flavor is improved, thus providing taste, fragrance and color suited for drink.
The production method of the healthy drink made from azuki bean of the present invention is further proposed comprising first washing a desired amount of azuki beans, followed by extraction of the beans using 80-100xc2x0 C. hot water for a period of 30-60 minutes for extracting mineral components and polyphenol components from azuki bean, and then heating the diluted extract at 120-135xc2x0 C. for a period of 5-40 minutes to develop color and flavor of the diluted extract, followed by cooling and filling it up in a container sealed hermetically, and aging at 15-30xc2x0 C. for a period of further 3-7 days for deepening the color of the liquid in the container and stabilizing the flavor.